MISS FL USA NEWS!

» Leading Lady Retirement Announcement:

After two years of directing and leading North Florida pageantry. The team of Samantha and Amanda have retired the leading lady banner. Here is their official posting at their website of www.leadingladymagazine.com.

Greetings Leading Lady Family,

After a great deal of consideration, Amanda and I have decided to retire from directing pageants.

The past few years have been a gift. We've met amazing people; learned new and exciting things; and most of all, grew our family exponentially. We truly treasure our Leading Lady family of delegates, titleholders, parents and friends. Unfortunately, after examining the amount of time our staff actually has, there’s no way we’d be able to provide the manpower necessary to produce high-quality pageants. As we’ve proven through each of our pageants, we want to provide the best experience possible to our contestants. If we can’t do that, then it’s time to move on.

We’ve enjoyed our experience within the FL USA system tremendously. Our retirement will allow new people to rise up and carry the Leading Lady spirit into the future. We are 110% committed to our current titleholders and will be available to provide insight to anyone needing our guidance in the future.

Thank you for believing in the Leading Lady system…

Sam

Tel-Air Interests Response:

Miss Florida USA Family:

First of all we want to congratulate our good friends Sam & Amanda for all of their efforts in regards to the Leading Lady family. Their commitment to pageantry was unprecedented in North Florida and they will be missed. Hopefully they will return when their day to day lives become less hectic.

We were just as surprised by the announcement having learned of their intentions just prior to their public statements. Currently we are in the scramble phase to restore North Florida to Miss USA country. The Chipley event has been cancelled. Sam & Amanda are making inquiries into their staff of volunteers to see if they would like to takeover the operations. If anyone knows of potential directors please inquire at telair@aol.com or by filling out the directors request form at www.missfloridausa.com.

Once again a big thank you goes to Sam & Amanda for all you have done to improve the lives of the women of North Florida. You shall be missed.

Grant Gravitt, Jr.

» 2007 Miss Florida USA Preliminary Season Schedule

Oct. 15-16

Miss West Coast USA & Teen USA Pageants

Nov. 19

Miss Broward County USA & Teen USA Pageants

Dec 3

Miss Sunset Place USA & Teen USA Pageants

Dec 11 & 18

Miss Weston USA & Teen USA Pageants

Jan 6-7

Miss Nature Coast USA & Teen USA Pageants

Jan 18 & 19

Miss Daytona Beach USA & Teen USA Pageants

Jan 29

Miss Hollywood USA & Teen USA Pageants

Feb 18-19

Miss First Coast USA & Teen USA Pageants

April 2

Miss West Broward USA & Teen USA Pageants

April 8

Miss Gold Coast USA & Miss Palm Beach County USA & Teen Pageants

» State Pageant Corner & Important Dates

Finally we have put together a calendar with all of the important dates for this year’s Miss Florida USA Pageant. Look for it’s permanent home every week at YOUR Miss Florida USA Ezine.

September 30

Miss Florida Teen USA Registration and Interview Competition

September 30

Miss Florida USA Preliminary Directors Meeting 1:30pm

October 1

Miss Florida Teen USA Preliminary Competition

October 2

Miss Florida Teen USA Finals

MISS FLORIDA USA AIRINGS THIS WEEKEND

PENSACOLA/MOBILE

WFGX-WB Channel35

TBD

» Lapeer Woman Crowned Miss Michigan USA

PORT HURON, Mich. (AP) -- Danelle Gay of Lapeer was crowned Miss Michigan USA 2006 on Saturday night. Gay, 24, will go on to compete in the Miss USA pageant next year. Raquel McClendon, 16, of Kincheloe, near Sault St. Marie, was crowned Miss Michigan Teen USA, the Times Herald of Port Huron reported. She advances to next year's Miss Teen USA pageant. The two pageant winners beat about 200 contests for their titles. They took part in an evening-gown competition, swimsuit competition and an on-stage interview with the judges. The field was narrowed to 15 semifinalists, then five finalists.

McClendon said she is already loving every minute of her reign and has already made plans for the rest of the year. "I want to travel all of the state and raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina," she said. Last year's Miss Michigan USA, Crystal Hayes of Northville, was a semifinalist in the national pageant held in Baltimore in April. This is the sixth year the Miss Michigan USA pageant has been in Port Huron.

Crystal Hayes crowns Danelle Gay, 24,

Miss Michigan USA 2006.

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» Miss Iowa USA & Miss Iowa Teen USA

SCOTT NILES, Ottumwa Courier staff writer (OTTUMWA) Evening gowns with attitude, sexy swimsuits and intriguing interviews were the focus on Sunday afternoon at Miss Iowa and Miss Iowa Teen USA pageants held at the Ottumwa High School auditorium. Sixty-one contestants lined the stage at the beginning of the show from both divisions, but only two winners will go on to represent Iowa in the Miss USA and the Miss Teen USA competitions later this year, to be aired on NBC.

The contestants were judged on three equally weighted categories which were formal wear, swimsuit and interviews. Though the judges said all the young women showed excellent enthusiasm for the pageant, the two winners crowned were Sarah Corpstein, from Anamosa, as Miss Iowa USA and Danielle Malatek, from North Liberty, as Miss Iowa Teen USA. The two young women said they can't wait to get started on their way to the televised pageants, but both were still in awe that they had actually won. "It's overwhelming," Corpstein said. "It's a great feeling after being first runner-up last year." She said she never dreamed that she was going to win, though she secretly hoped she would. "Most mothers have more of a chance of getting their son drafted for the NFL than to have their daughters get to Miss USA," she said.

DANIELLE MALATEK;

MISS IOWA TEEN USA® 2006

Malatek said she was just as astonished as Corpstein when it was announced that she won. "My first thoughts were, 'Oh my gosh, is this really happening?'" she said. "It was a blessing." Malatek said she went through the pageant as she would with anything else. "Ultimately it was in God's hands and I just went out there and was myself," she said. That must have been enough to convince several of the judges too. One of the judges, Jesse Beckom III, said he looked for beauty and personality. "These two girls had both qualities," he said. "It all came together." Another judge, Allison Steenhard, said she was looking for contestants that stood out. "Both of these girls shined from the very beginning and they kept shining the whole way through," she said.

Though the young women will be attending a variety of events in the upcoming year as the new crown holders, they also have other aspiring goals that they are looking forward to. "I want to go to college at either [Iowa State University] or California State," Malatek said. "I wanted to win, but if I hadn't, it wouldn't have been a big deal." Corpstein said she currently works as a manager at a Target store in Anamosa and is looking forward to her upcoming duties.

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» Miss Vermont USA & Miss Vermont Teen USA

BY JACOB L. GRANT, Staff Writer www.caledonianrecord.com

- A world of opportunity has suddenly opened wide for 19-year-old Amanda Gilman.
She won the title of Miss Vermont USA 2006 during the weekend-long competition at the Sheraton Hotel in Burlington. When the names were announced, Gilman said, "I actually didn't think that I'd won, I thought the girl next to me had won," she said, laughing. "I gave her a big hug and said, 'Congratulations, you're going to make a great Miss Vermont!' And she was like, 'Uh, thanks, but I'm going to have to try again next year.'"

When she realized it was she who had won the title, Gilman admitted to doing a lot of the stereotypical crying. "I really wasn't expecting to win," she said. Gilman, a born and raised Vermonter from Danville, is a Lyndon State College sophomore double majoring in broadcasting and business administration. She said she first competed in the Miss Vermont Teen USA competition in 2002 for the 2003 title. She made it into the top 10 and competed the following year to attain second runner-up. Having outgrown the teen competition, her first attempt at Miss Vermont USA in 2004 landed her second runner-up.

She said the Miss Vermont USA pageant, and the impending Miss USA competition, are great launching points for her career in television broadcasting. "I don't think people realize the opportunities that are afforded to young women in the competition," she said.

Miss USA delegates have been much more successful transferring into careers than those involved with other organizations like Miss USA's sister competition, Miss America, according to Gilman. Even the organization's Web site claims its purpose is, "To open doors and provide career and educational opportunities, not only to the winner, but to all the young women who participate."

The main difference between the Miss America and Miss USA contests is that Miss USA bases the decision on interview, evening gown and swimsuit competitions, each counting as one-third of the score. Miss America, however, has four categories - talent, interview, swimsuit and evening gown. And unlike Miss America that allows each participant to have a separate platform, such as business or politics, Miss USA has a national platform with the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation.

The new Miss Vermont USA

"Miss USA is incredibly competitive," Gilman said. With Vermont being a much smaller state that is not typically successful in pageants, Gilman said it's a pretty lofty goal for a Vermonter to think she can go all the way. But Gilman's certainly going to give it her best. Starting in January she said she's going to be devoting 90 percent of her time to preparations for the national Miss USA competition in April. Her schedule will include rigorous time at the gym and a lot of interview training. "[The interview] is really what makes or breaks your score," she said.

The Miss Vermont USA competition ended Sunday night after three days of interviews, rehearsals, strutting and judging. Gilman won the title out of 23 contestants and took home a prize package worth over $60,000. She considers herself very fortunate to have done so well, but is not lax to attribute her success where it's due.

From the many individuals and businesses that sponsored her along the way, to the people who helped her directly with her wardrobe, gym training and preparation, including Miss Vermont USA 2004, Michelle Fongemie, and Steve Parker of Body Basics in Danville, Gilman said she is extremely grateful.

However, she said her personality wouldn't even be suited for the competitive world of beauty pageants if not for her parents, Dale and Darlene Gilman. With the Gilmans being foster parents, Gilman said her childhood was very family oriented. Throughout her life there were foster children, from many different ages and backgrounds, coming and going through their home. "I think it really helped shape me as a more giving person because of that lifestyle," she said.

As competitive as the competition was, Gilman said there were a lot of very generous people, especially within the circle of competitors. "I remember sitting there getting my fake eyelashes glued on while the second runner up was doing my hair," she said.

During the competition some of the women loaned her jewelry, others loaned their time and offered tips on walking, stage presence and posing. "It was great, I had so much fun," she said. To aspiring young women interested in competing, Gilman encourages them to be persistent. "Just because only one person walks away with the crown," she said, "the experience itself is invaluable."

Throughout the years, she said competing has helped make her a much better person, slowly drawing her out of her shell and helping her become a much more accomplished speaker. Nevertheless, she admits there are still some very difficult aspects. "I was not looking forward to the swimsuit competition," she said laughing. "Believe it or not, I'm a very shy person."

Now that it's over, Gilman's looking forward to a busy few months as she does interviews, appearances and community events. Anyone interested in having her make an appearance at an event, or any young woman looking to get involved in pageantry, is welcome to contact her at missvtusa2006@aol.com. "I'm happy to help anyone that would like to experience everything that I've been so fortunate to," she said.

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» Miss Alabama USA & Miss Alabama Teen USA

This year’s Miss Alabama USA and Miss Alabama Teen USA Pageants were contested Saturday night in a dual crowning at The Wright Center Concert Hall on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham. The new Miss Alabama USA 2006 is newcomer Haleigh Stidham, and she hails from Birmingham. She was crowned by outgoing queen, Jessica Tinney also of Birmingham. The first runner up was Brandi Blakney; second runner up was Kristen Hilliard; third runner up was Kara Oglesby; and fourth runner up was Dawn Strain.

Alabama USA 2006, Haleigh Stidham’s

crowning moment

The new Miss Alabama Teen USA 2006 is Carla Baumann, 16 of Birmingham. This is her first attempt at the title. She was crowned by Kristen Bell of Aliceville. During the pageant, she was awarded the Photogenic honors. The first runner up was Rebecca Moore; second runner up was Catherine Wright; third runner up was Heather Hodges; and fourth runner up was Mille Mizzell.

Carla Baumann wins Alabama Teen USA 2006

HOW'S YOUR VISION?
Everything Is Illuminated

Don't you hate it when Hollywood takes a great book and makes it into a terrible movie? Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything Is Illuminated finally gets the novel some justice.

When the book was first published literary illuminati and hip book lovers everywhere were agog over Foer's debut novel. The movie version, starring Elijah Wood and directed by the talented Liev Schreiber, is just as entertaining. Everything Is Illuminated is the story of an American Jewish man who goes to a small village in the Ukraine in search of the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis. His hilarious guide (played by Eugene Hutz of the band Gogol Bordello) takes him on a misadventure that yields life lessons galore. While the plot sounds serious the entire film is often laugh out loud funny. The movie feels a bit like Rushmore in its quirkiness, but it’s got a vibe all its own.

Everything Is Illuminated is bound to be an indie classic, but make sure you read the book too. It's worth it.

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